Fire-alarm box



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. R. WILDER.

FIRE ALARM BOX.

No. 462,786. Patented Nov. 10, 189 1.

2 t w h S W m h S 2 R E D L I W R R a d 0 M 0 W FIRE ALARM BOX.

Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

UNTTED STATES EDMUND R. \VILDER, OF KANSAS CITY DUPLEX ELECTRIC BURGLAR AL \VEQT VIRGINIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

FIRE-ALARM BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,786, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed January 2,1891. Serial No. 376.545. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND R. WILDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Alarm Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to fire-alarm boxes, and has for its object to providea cheap and simple box which shall be non-interfering, so that when one call is given from one box it cannot be interfered with by a call from another box until its call is finished, Whereupon the other box will give its call in due order, and other features of construction and operation hereinafter more specifically referred to.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View showing the circuits. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the interior mechanism with the box-ease removed. Fig. 3 is a detail of the. double contact-key; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details of the mechanism for pulling the box.

Like parts are indicated by the same letter in each of the figures.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the station from which leads the conductor A to the bindingpost A of the fire-alarm box. From this leads the conductor A to the projecting con tact'post A on the insulation-base A of the box. Normally in contact with this post A is the spring-arm A, along which the circuit may be traced to the conductor A thence to the key A thence by conductor A to the magnet A thence by conductor A to the binding-post A and by conductor A to the station at A. Thus a complete metallic circuit from the station to the box is established through the key A and including the magnets A Over this circuit a continuous current passes. It now the operator at the box desires to signal the station, he does so by operating the key A and th us making and breaking this metallic circuit, so as to operate a suitable signaling mechanism in the central station. The return signal from the central station is given of course in the same the circuit at the central station and sounding the code-call on the bell or other signaling device connected with the magnet A B is a pivoted lever adapted to be operated by a hook at one end and downwardlydrawn at the other end by means of the weight B on the chain B Then the box is to be operated, the lever B is pulled down in opposition to the weight until it reaches its highest position, whereupon the laterally-projecting pin 13 engages the spring 13' and forces the same over against the contact-post B5". Bythis action the spring B is freed from contact with the post A, and by passing from the pin B 011 the post B over to the pin B", its contact with such post is momentarily broken. This operation changes the circuit last above traced so as to include another magnet and the signalpen, and we will now trace the circuit as thus changed. BeginningatstationA,wetraceconductor A to post A conductor A to post A*, thence on conductor 0 to magnet 0', along conductor C to the pen G thence to the central contact-strip O", thence on the conductor 0 to the post C to which the spring B is secured; thence on the spring B" to the pin B" on the post B thence along the conductor A to the key A then conductor A to magnet A thence on conductor A to binding-post A conductor A, and back to the station at A. Thus by the movement of pulling down the lever B against the action of its weight we have changed the metallic circuit going from the station within the box, so as to make it include the magnet C, the key A, the magnet A and the pen C, and this in etallic circuit is traversed by a current. This current, however, is not of suflicient strength to pull down the armature C of magnet C.

The passage of the spring A from pin 13 to pin 13 of the post B momentarily breaks the metallic circuit leading from the box to the station and gives the signal at the central station, showing that a box has been pulled. As previously stated, the raising of the left end of the lever B in this manner forces the spring B against the contact B and forms a ground-circuit from the box to the station, the metallic portions of which ground-circuit may be either of the conductors A or A. This will now be traced. Beginningwith the ground D at the box, a conductor D leads to the binding-post D thence leads the conductor D to the post Dflthence passes the spring 3" to the contact B whence leads the conductor D to the magnet D, whence leads the conductor D to the metallic circuit at the point D From this point the metallic portion of the ground-circuit may be continued from the box to the station over the conductor 0, through post A, conductor A binding-post A conductor A, back to the station A. and thence to the ground at the station, or from the pointD through the conductor 0, through magnet U, conductor C pen C central contact-strip C conductor 0 post C, spring B, pin B post B conductor A key A conductor A", magnet A conductor A, binding-post A conductor A and back 'to the station at A and thence to the ground on the station. This circuit subsists in this manner only momentarily, for when the lever D is released its weight immediately proceeds to tilt it in the opposite direction or to pull it down at the right-hand side, thus disconnecting the pin B from the spring B and freeing the spring B from the post B The magnets C and D are releasing-magnets, and either or both constitute a releasing mechanism. One is in the metallic circuit, the other in the ground-circuit, and when by the breaking of the metallic circuit at the post 13", as hereinbefore stated, a signal is given at the central station to the effect that a box has been pulled, it is the duty of the operator at the central station to immediately throw into either the metallic circuit of the groundcircuit a sufficient battery to operate one or both of the releasingmagnets, and thus free or start the mechanism ot' the alarm-box. switched into or out of these circuits in any convenient manner,but is designed only to be in circuit momentarily, as its work is tinished when either of the magnets C or D has drawn down its armature and released the movement. This locking and releasing device for the driving mechanism of the alarmbox consists of the following: The armature C in front of the magnet C, secured to thearm E of the elbow crank-lever E, which is pivoted at E and the opposite arm, which is secured to the bar E which carries the armature E of the magnet D. The other end of this bar E is adapted to engage the shoulder E on the cam-wheel E, which is secured to and rotates with the driving mechanism of the box. Normally this looking mechanism is securely heldin position by means of the arm E, which projects downwardly from the lever B, and when the lever B is tilted in its opposite position, as lastabove referred to, the arm E frees the, locking mechanism and permits the same to be withdrawn by the operation of either the magnet O or 0 so as to permit the rotating wheel E and i s associated mechanism to travel.

, We have now traced the structure and operation of the box to a point where the driv- This battery may be ing mechanism has been released,the lever B has been tilted into the opposite position from that shown and the weight 13 is beginning to lower the lever B. On the lever B is a pivoted (log F, which engages the ratchetwheel F, which is geared to the mechanism of the box, so as to cause when rotated the signaling-disk F to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. From this it is evident that as the weight descends the mechanism of the box is driven so as to rotate the disk W, as indicated by the arrow, until the pin or bar E engages the opposite shoulder E of the cam-wheel E and thus locks the box from further movement. This'result, however, is only reached when the weight has reachedits lowest normal position and when the disk has completed the desired number of revolutions so as to give the call, and at this moment the spring B again engages the post A cutting out all of the magnets except the signalingmagnet A and key A During all this opera-' tion,untilthe limit of motion hasbeen reached, the metallic circuit from the station through the box has been closed through the pen C v and therefore as the roller Gr on the end of this pen descends into the notches G G this circuit is broken, so as to give the desired signal at the central station over the metallic circuit.

Should one branch of the metallic circuit from the box to the station be broken or disconnected, we are still desirous of giving the signal, and this is accomplished over the ground-circuit as follows: from the ground at the station to the ground D at the box, thence along the conductor D to the bindingpost D thence along the conductor H to the pen H ,which is provided with the rollerI-P, and is normally free from con tact with the contactstrip 0 but engages the same when its roller H drops into any one'of the slots G on thedisk F whereupon the circuit is completed through such strip C along conductor 0 to post 0 along the spring-strip B to the pin B on the post B thence by conductorA to key A along conductor A, through magnet A on conductor A to binding-post A, by conductorA back to the office, and thence to the ground at the central office.

Should the conductor A be broken or disconnected, then the circuit is as follows: from ground D, to the contact-strip C of the pen, as in the circuit last described, thence to the pen 0 and on conductor 0 through magnet C' on conductor 0 to post A", along conductor A to binding-post A along conductor A, back to the station at A, and thence to the ground at the station. Thus the signal is given in by the operation of the box over a ground-circuit the metallic branch of which may be either conductor A or A When the box is in normal position and not giving the signal, and if the metallic circuit is broken and the operator at the box desires to communicate with the central station by a code of signals, he throws in the switch 3', so as to close the following circuit: Through the ground-post D to conductor J to switch J, thence on conductor J to key J thence on conductor J to the metallic circuit atthe point J so that a circuit can thus be madeincluding the ground and either of the metallic conductors A and A which connect the box and station. By operating the key J the operator at the box can communicate by a code of signals with the central station, notwithstanding the breaking down of the line.

The keys A and J 3 are similar, and the key A is illustrated in Fig. 3, where it consists of g the spring K with the thumb-piece K, the

contact K and the opposed contact K The circuits are formed principally on the back of the insulating base-plate A L is a body of insulation separating and supporting the pens C and II and the central contact-strip O".

M is the door of the box through which projects the crank-lever M, having the knob M and supported on the pivot M to the other end of which is secured the short piece M to which is hinged the bar M with a spring M, which tends to force the bar M toward the lever M or toward the inside of the door. The door lies between the pieces M" and M.

M is a spring-cam inwardly turned at its upper end and secured upon the door.

M is a hook projecting from the piece M and adapted to engage the lever B.

M is a heavy spring tending to keep the hook and its associated parts in their highest position.

\Vhen the person at the box desires to use the same, he pulls down upon the knob M against the spring M, and since the hinged portion M is inwardly thrown by reason of its engagement with the upper inwardlyturned end of the spring-cam bar M the hook M will overreach and engage the lever B, which is carried downwardly at its left end. As soon as the knob M is released, the parts are immediately retracted to their normal position, except that the bar B remains down, rising gradually as the signal is given by the box. If now the operator at the box in his excitement prematurely pulls the knob again, he will not interfere with the operation of the box, because the hook M in its descent will not engage the lever B until the lever I; has reached its highest position, and this is only after the entire signal has been given.

In practice the hooked pull is not curved so much as shown in the drawings.

I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a fire-alarm box, the combination of a circuit connecting the box with the central station, a signaling device in such circuit, a driving mechanism for the same, a locking device for such driving mechanism, a portion of which device is in said circuit, a generator connected and normally supplying a constant current of a given quantity to such circuit, means for adding to such current in the same circuit, said releasing mechanism adapted to respond to such changes in the strength of the current thus applied to such circuit, said locking device containing an electro-maguet, an armature, and a wheel with a notch, a stop for the driving mechanism controlled by such electro-magnet, and a mechanical stop adapted to be moved by the operator when the box is set in motion.

2. In a fire-alarm box, the combination of an exterior pull with an interior operatinglever, an electric circuit connecting the box with the station, a signaling device in such circuit, a driving mechanism for such device, a driving connection between the lever and such driving mechanism, a weight upon such lever, whereby the driving mechanism is operated to give the signal, a hook connected with the pull and adapted to engage the lever when the same is at its highest position only, whereby the pull when operated raises the weight and permits the same to descend until such weight is returned to its normal position.

3. In a fire-alarm box, the combination of an operating-lever with an electric circuit connecting the box with the station, a signaling device in such circuit, a driving mechanism for such device, a driving connect-ion between the lever and such driving mechanism, a weight upon such lever, whereby the driving mechanism is operated to give the signal, and a locking device adapted normally to lock the driving mechanism and keep the same from motion, said locking device pro vided with an arm projecting from the lever, which normally stops the drivinghnechanism, and an electro-magnet, which when the lever is raised frees the locking mechanism.

Signed this 12th day of December, 1890.

EDMUND R. VILDER.

In presence of CELESTE P. CHAPMAN, FRANCIS l\[. IRELAND. 

